Tag: TXED

Thankful for our School

Parents and Students:

It is only right, at this special time of the year, that we pause for a moment and ask ourselves just what it is that we have to be thankful for.  Since our district has set aside an entire week for our students to celebrate this special day, I think it fitting that we, as a district let you know what it is that we give thanks for. 

The answer is not always at our fingertips, and it is not always clear. We see politicians fighting every day, we read the headlines of newspapers, we listen to the voices from the radio, and we watch images on television. We see crime, the results of war, hunger, poverty, degradation, and racial tensions. While we are constantly confronted with these negative images, make no mistake about it, there is so much that is good and worthwhile in this world and in our nation. If we look for it, we can find it in individuals who give of themselves in every way. If we look for it, we can find love conquering hate every single day. Whatever negatives are on the media, our school and our Como and Pickton communities are not reflective of them, and we are thankful for that.

At Como-Pickton CISD, we are also thankful for our nation, our state, and our community. We proudly fly our national, state, and school flag over our facilities. We are thankful for our military men and women who have protected our liberties in the past, and we sleep comfortably at night knowing that they will protect our way of life in the future. We are thankful for our first responders, in whom we too often take for granted. We are thankful for our parents who trust us enough to bring us the most important things in their lives, their children.  We are thankful for our staff who continue to show love, care and patience to our students. We are thankful for our school board who give up countless hours of their time as they make sure our school is the best it can be. We are thankful for our churches and our local businesses who go out of their way to support our schools and programs.  

Most importantly, though, we are thankful for our students.  We are thankful for their smiles, their efforts, their personalities, and the trust that they place in us for their education.

As many of our students’ families will be traveling for the break, we will ask in our own individual ways that your travels be safe and that your time spent with family will be rewarding and meaningful. 

On behalf of the faculty and staff of Como-Pickton CISD, have a safe and happy Thanksgiving.

Sincerely,

Dr. Greg Bower

Friday Morning Breakfasts are More Important than Friday Night Lights

I know that most of you have heard that famous saying that it takes a village to raise a child.   I have found this to be a rather accurate statement as most veteran educators can attest.  As I visited one of our local churches this morning, I reflected on this old proverb again.  In late September, most school communities have Friday Night Lights seared into their heads.  Now, don’t get me wrong, I think that football as well as all other extra-curricular events are vital parts of our school.  More than that, I think that they are essentially necessary in many of our students’ lives.  As a former coach, I absolutely love seeing our community come together in one venue to cheer and celebrate our students.  Any high school principal or superintendent who has been in our business a while will tell you that the school year runs much more efficiently both academically and in discipline when our extra-curriculum programs are successful.  In the Fall, especially, more than half of our student body participates in some type of activity that will leave a life-lasting impression on them.  On Friday nights our Cheerleaders, Band, Football Team, Volleyball team in the gym, Flag Corp, Bleacher Creatures, and last Friday night even our Ag students as well as several other school groups learn structure, loyalty, strategy, the value of a team, and the importance of what it means to be a good teammate. They learn how to take pride in an organization, and they learn how to take pride in themselves.  While I am cognizant of the continued growth and success in many of our programs and the swelling of student, staff, and community pride that has resulted, I want you to know that as your proud superintendent I believe Friday Morning Breakfasts are much more important for our students than Friday Night Lights.

Let me explain that a little better.  Every Friday morning in the fall, our community churches invite our young men and women in high school to voluntary fellowship, outreach, and breakfast.  They strictly follow all UIL rules and guidelines, and they make it a point to take time out of their personal lives to do something meaningful for our students. You and I know that the communities of Como and Pickton are small, rural areas, but the support is overwhelmingly positive.   I believe that every single one of our local churches participates in one way or another in working with our school.  They see our community members model servant leadership. They hear positive and spiritual messages from pastors, ministers, and leaders who are the very folks who come to the games to cheer them on.  They learn manners of receiving and giving thanks. They see people of different religions and denominations working toward the same goals. They say that it takes a village to raise a child.  I say our village is healthy and our children are blessed and highly favored. Aside from the various churches that volunteer to help our school and children outside of our district lines, I want to say a special thanks to the following churches in our district boundaries.  Thank you so much for the love, patience, guidance, and support you show to our school every day and every week.  We are proud to be a part of your village.  Greenpond Baptist, Winterfield Baptist, Harmony Assembly of God, Fellowship Baptist, Como United Methodist, Bright Star, Pickton United Methodist, Tabernacle Baptist, Color Blind Ministries, and Black Oak Baptist.

For those of you who are not in our district, feel free to let us know what you do special to keep your village healthy. We would love to share ideas that might help!